DOMINIC Raab has confirmed he will run for Conservative leader.
The former Brexit Secretary, who will campaign to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister, said he intends to “fight for a fairer deal on Brexit”.
A staunch Brexiteer, Raab resigned from his post over Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement proposal.
May confirmed she will stand down as Prime Minister on June 7, leaving time for a Tory leadership contest.
Raab has now thrown his hat into the ring, saying he will “fight for a fairer deal on Brexit, a fairer deal for British workers and a fairer society where every child can fulfil their potential”.
He has been one of the frontrunners to replace May since before he announced his intention to run.
While Boris Johnson is seen as the favourite by the bookies, with Paddy Power giving him odds of 6/4, Raab is not far behind on 6/1.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt became the first to say he was running. Then, odds-on favourite BoJo told a conference in Switzerland: “Of course, I will be running for Prime Minister.”
I’ll fight for a fairer deal on Brexit, a fairer deal for British workers and a fairer society where every child can fulfil their potential
Dominic Raab
Matt Hancock and Esther McVey are also standing.
Rory Stewart confirmed he also wants the job – he was later promoted to the Cabinet in a mini reshuffle.
The most unexpected candidate is likely to be Sir Graham Brady, who stood down as chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs to consider a tilt at the top job.
Amber Rudd ruled out of a bid for No10 but said she could serve in a BoJo cabinet.
Other Cabinet ministers expected to stand include Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Raab has already said if he were elected then he would shave a penny off income tax to help working Brits, and would fight for tougher employment rights for mums.
He’s said a No Deal wouldn’t be the end of the world for Britain either.
And he’s got the backing of his predecessor in the job too, David Davis.
After Davis resigned as the Brexit Secretary on July 9, 2018, Raab took up the post although he didn’t last long in the job and resigned on November 15, 2018, disagreeing with the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement.
He has since described May’s proposed deal as worse than remaining in the EU although he voted in favour of it on the third vote on it on March 29, 2019.
He also believes the UK should not pay the divorce bill, amounting to £39billion in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
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